GOO JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. r December 30 , isso. 
whenever the weather is favourable, with a view to improve the 
flavour. Maintain the supply of Mustard and Cress by sowing 
at intervals. Introduce roots of Mint in boxes or pots to a house 
where there is gentle heat, assigning them a light position. Potatoes 
that have been placed in heat to accelerate] their[sprouting should, 
before they have made too much growth, be transferred to pits or 
frames, beds of leaves and dung being prepared for them covered 
with 4 to G inches depth of light rich soil, and when this is 
warmed through—the temperature not exceeding 75°—insert the sets 
about 4 inches deep and 15 inches apart. Earlier crops growing 
freely should be earthed up as needed. Probably the best very early 
crops are secured by placing three sets in 11 or 12-inch pots in Peach 
houses, and where several houses are started at intervals a succession 
of new Potatoes can be maintained for a considerable time. Peach 
houses in which forcing is being carried on are suitable for starting 
sets in, placing them rather thinly on a layer of leaf soil and covering 
lightly with that substance. Those previously placed in pots will 
now be growing vigorously, and should be earthed up by filling the 
pots to within half an inch of the rim with rich light soil. Potatoes 
require plenty of light and air, hence those in pits or frames will 
need careful attention as to ventilation, and must be well protected 
in case of frost. Dwarf Kidney Beans should [be sown in pots at 
least once a fortnight, and earth up the plants advanced in growth, 
keeping th em near to the glass, and when in flower supply weak 
liquid manure, maintaining a temperature of 60^ to 05°. Sow Celery 
seed in pan3 for the first early crop, also Tomatoes, which should 
have a light position in a temperature not less than G0°. Prepare 
beds for Early Horn Carrots, Radishes, and Cauliflowers and Cos 
Lettuce, sowing the seeds as soon as the beds are ready. Endive, 
Lettuces, Cauliflowers, and Parsley in pits and frames should have as 
much air and light as possible during the warmest part of the day } 
taking care to have sufficient covering to exclude frost in severe 
weather. These remarks apply to plants now required for use. 
Cauliflowers under handlights or in frames for early summer should 
have air on all favourable occasions, also Lettuces in frames for early 
spring, as the hardier they are kept the more safely they will pass 
the winter. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines to afford ripe Grapes early in June must be started at once. 
The outside borders should have some protection, shutters or glazed 
lights are suitable. Supply water liberally to the inside borders for 
weak Vines ; weak liquid manure at a temperature of 90° will prove 
beneficial. Economise fuel by having a bed of fermenting materials 
inside the house. Syringing will be required two or three times 
on fine days, and the maximum temperature must not exceed 65°, 
keeping it at 50° to 55° artificially. Maintain a mean temperature 
of 45° with a dry atmosphere. Where late Grapes are hanging on 
the Vines examine the bunches frequently and remove all decayed 
berries ; ventilate freely on fine mornings with a little fire heat, and 
keep the house closed when the weather is damp. Vines from which 
the Grapes have been cut should be pruned. We advise cutting back 
to a plump bud as near to the stem as possible—indeed a modification 
of the close spur and the rod system, which admits of old enfeebled 
growths being removed and training young wood in their places. 
Cutting to the best bud will induce in course of time very long spurs, 
but then it is easy to encourage new growths. All loose bark should 
be removed, washing the rods with soap and water, and afterwards 
dress them with an insecticide. The border should have the loose 
surface soil removed, and receive a top-dressing of turfy loam 2 or 
3 inches thick in which about 20 per cent, of crushed bones and wood 
ashes have been incorporated. The houses should be freely venti¬ 
lated and kept cool. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—When the blossoms of the trees started 
early in the month show the anthers, syringing them must be discon¬ 
tinued, but the borders should be damped in the morning and on bright 
afternoons, maintaining a night temperature of 50° in mild weather, 
and 52 less when severe, 552 by day artificial heat, or 50° if the 
weather be dull and cold, advancing to 65° from sun heat, not allow¬ 
ing the latter to be exceeded without full ventilation. Commence 
reducing the ventilation from 65°, but have the ventilators slightly 
open constantly at the upper part of the house. Turn on the heat 
early in the day so as to allow of air being admitted, which is essential 
to the vigour of the flowers. Where the flowers are too crowded 
draw the hand down the back or under side of the trellis, which 
will remove some. Maintain a moist condition at the roots, and to 
weakly old trees afford liquid manure in a tepid state. When the 
pollen is in a matured condition apply it carefully to the stigmas 
with a camel’s-hair brush, choosing the early part of sunny days 
for the operation. The trees to be started early in the new year 
should now be ready. If such is the case the house may be closed, 
ventilating freely above 50°, and employing fire heat only to prevent 
the temperature falling below freezing point. The border must be 
thoroughly moist; and if, as not unfrequently happens, the soil has 
shrunk from the walls, ram it well down before supplying water, or 
it will pass off without percolating through the soil. The trees 
may be damped on fine days in the morning and early afternoon. A 
covering of leaves or fern should be placed on the outside border, with 
a tarpaulin or shutters over at a sharp pitch to throw off rain and 
snow. 
Continue pruning and cleansing the trees in the succession 
houses, not laying in the wood thickly, as to secure fine fruit of good 
colour and flavour it is necessary that the wood be stout, and the 
foliage have full exposure to light and air for the full development 
and maturation of the buds as well as perfecting the current year’s 
crop. Most of the evils in Peach-growing arise from overcrowding 
the young growths and filling the houses with plants that necessitate 
the maintenance of too high a temperature for the Peach trees. This 
causes the buds to swell, and they are often checked by removing 
the plants and opening the house. All fruit trees require a long and 
complete period of rest to insure their continued health and fertility, 
and neglect in those respects is certain to be followed by defect in 
the crops. 
FORCING HOUSES. 
If the earliest lioses in pots be now placed in heat without prun¬ 
ing they will afford flowers earlier than those pruned, which may be 
introduced to heat to afford a succession. Tea varieties are un¬ 
surpassed. Niphetos is the best, flowering continuously, its fine white- 
pointed Magnolia-like flowers being always acceptable. Duchess of 
Edinburgh, bright crimson, is free and invaluable for early forcing; 
Madame Claveret, apricot-tinged salmon; Isabella Sprunt, sulphur 
yellow ; Madame Ealcot, pale yellow ; Souvenir d’Elise, white ; Marie 
Sisley, white; Mrs. Opie, rosy carmine ; Monsieur Purtado, Mdlle. 
Marie Amand, canary yellow ; Perfection de Montplaisir, yellow ; 
and Madame Alexander Bernaix, peach, are a dozen fine varieties. 
With a few of the freest-flowering Hybrid Perpetuals, such as 
Baronne de Rothschild, Alfred Colomb, Marquise de Castellane, 
Paulin Talabot, Boule de Neige, Comtesse d’Oxford, Senateur Yaisse, 
Thomas Mills, Sir Garnet Wolseley, Prangois Courtin, Comte Raim- 
baud, and Baronne de Maynard, a succession of flowers will be 
obtained, and be a welcome addition to the ordinary indoor flowering 
plants. 
Regularly bring Hyacinths, Narcissuses, Jonquils, Tulips, and 
other bulbs into the house, placing them on shelves near the glass. 
At intervals bring in Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Deutzias, Prunuses, 
Spiraeas, Dielytras, and Lilacs, syringing them occasionally ; but do 
not maintain a very close humid atmosphere, as it will render the 
flowers less durable when cut or removed to the drier atmosphere of 
the conservatory. Lily of the Yalley can scarcely be had in too large 
quantities either for conservatory or room decoration, or for cutting. 
Single crowns potted in cocoa-nut fibre refuse, or in pots or boxes, 
should be brought into heat regularly according to the demand, 
plunging them in bottom heat, and invert pots, pans, or boxes, over 
them to draw up the flower stems to a length of 4 to 6 inches, when 
they may be gradually inured to light. The bottom heat must be 
-about 80°. Tuberoses should be potted in turfy loam with a sixth 
of well-decayed manure. Remove all the offsets, placing the roots 
beneath the soil, and plunge the pots to the rims in a bottom heat of 
80° to 85°, giving no water until growth commences. Supply it 
moderately at first, increasing it as the growth progresses, being 
careful to have it of the same temperature as the roots. When in 
free growth afford weak liquid manure freely. A light airy position 
is necessary to insure sturdy growth, and the temperature should 
